US election 2012: Rick Santorum claims same sex marriage is comparable to polygamy

Rick Santorum, the leading candidate for the US Republican Party nomination,
has courted controversy by reviving his criticism of marriage for
homosexuals.

Rick SantorumPhoto: EPA/STEVE POPE

By Our Foreign Staff

8:33AM GMT 06 Jan 2012

He said same sex marraige was an anathema like ploygamy to his values. “So, everybody has the right to be happy?” he said. “So, if you’re not happy unless you’re married to five other people, is that OK?”

An audience in New Hampshire, where he is campaign in a primary election reacted angrily to his comments.

It was the first such confrontation over Santorum’s well-documented opposition to gay rights and gay marriage since his surprisingly strong finish in the Iowa caucuses, but it probably won’t be the last. New Hampshire has allowed same-sex marriage since 2010, and voters who were unaware of Santorum’s stance on the issues are likely to hear a great deal about them now that he is emerging as the Christian conservative standard-bearer in the race.

Student after student challenged him on his stance, especially in light of his earlier remarks about the founding principle that all men were created equal.

Mr Santorum first tried arguing that there was no compelling reason to change the current laws banning same-sex marriage. Mr Santorum achieved national notoriety by claiming homosexual marraige would lead to bestiality and child rape.

“Don’t you have to make a positive argument that the law should be changed?” he asked the crowd. “You, the person who wants do this, tell me, what is the justification? What is the public purpose?”

The comment elicited a chorus of answers, which Santorum tried to quiet. “We’re not shouting out here. Raise your hand, I’ll give you the opportunity.”

Another audience member argued that gay couples would like the right to visit each other in the hospital. Santorum responded that adults may already enter into legal contracts to declare such rights.

Then he made his polygamy comparison.

“If it makes three people happy to get married, based on what you just said, what makes that wrong?” he asked one of the questioners.

“That’s irrelevant,” she responded. “In my opinion, yeah, go for it. But what I’m asking you is how do you justify your beliefs based on these high morals you have about all men being created equal?”

Santorum summed up his position this way: “God made man and woman, and men and women come together to have a union to produce children, which keeps civilization going and provides the best environment for choldren to be raised.”

Santorum then tried to shift the discussion to other topics, but it came up again at the end. When he finally concluded the event, his closing thanks were greeted with a chorus of boos.